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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: present · bay · perch · swing · bear · mug · bass · content

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. bass — the fish
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — the animal
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. mug — a face
  8. swing — to play on
  9. mug — to rob
  10. content — happy
  11. perch — the fish
  12. mug — a cup
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. swing — in golf
  15. content — the amount
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. present — there
  18. present — a gift
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. bass — low music
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. present — the time now
  24. content — videos and posts

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com